The Australian Closed Championship in Sydney in January was the occasion of two outstanding performances. Top seed GM Zhong-Yuan Zhao was expected to dominate and he duly won by a full point, but only after he was pushed to an extraordinary 10/11 by runner-up IM George Xie. The pair both won all their early games before Zhao beat Xie in round five. Then followed a tremendous chase by Xie, who won his next five games, catching up with Zhao and earning the 24 year old his second GM norm in the process. Zhao was forced to match Xie win for win over the remaining rounds to stay level. But in the final round, Xie was stopped by defending champion IM Stephen Solomon, allowing Zhao to take the championship with a win over FM Rej Tomek.
Today's game is from the tenth round of the Australian Championship and was the victory that secured a GM norm for Xie. He is playing White against 17 year old Max Illingworth.
1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 a6
White has chosen an aggressive Austrian Attack formation against Black's Modern Defence, and his opponent responds with early expansion on the queen's flank – not committing his pieces just yet. 5.Nf3 b5 6.Bd3 Nd7 7.O-O c5 8.d5!? ---
A risky advance – Black gets control of the dark squared diagonals and launches an effective counter-attack. 8.--- c4 9.Be2 Qb6+ 10.Kh1 Ngf6 11.e5!? Ng4
White continues with his central pawn thrust, while the Black pieces make use of the empty spaces left in their wake, making for a razor-sharp battle. 12.e6 fxe6 13.dxe6 Ndf6 14.Nd4 Bb7 15.f5 O-O-O!? 16.a4 h5!?
Black's aggressive kingside intentions are clear: castling queenside and securing his knight in preparation. 17.axb5 Ne4 18.Nxe4 Qxd4 19.f6!? ---
Ceding the exchange rather than 19 Qxd4 Bxd4 20 Ng5 axb5 21 fxg6 Rhg8 22 Bxg4 hxg4 23 Nf7 Rxg6! and Black will get a pawn and compensation for the exchange. 19. --- Bxf6 20.Nxf6 Nf2+ 21.Rxf2 Qxf2 22.Qf1! ---
Forcing off queens, since 22 Bxf3!? Bxf3 23 gxf3 exf6 24 bxa6 Rhe8 is somewhat risky. 22.--- Qxf1+ 23.Bxf1 exf6 24.Bxc4 Rhe8?
Eliminating the passed e-pawn but allowing White unwind his bishops. 24 ... axb5 25 Bxb5 Rhe8! giving back the exchange for the pawn would have drawn handily. 25.bxa6 Bc6 26.Be3! d5 27.Bd3 Rxe6 28.Bd4! f5 29.Kg1 Kb8 30.b4 ---
The White bishops dominate from their central posts while Black's has no scope. There is no answer to the plan of b4-b5-b6-b7 etc. 30.--- Be8 31.b5 Kc7 32.Ra3 Re1+ 33.Kf2 Rb1 34.Rc3+ Kd6 35.Bb6 d4 36.Bc7+ Kd7 37.Rc5 Rc8 38.b6 Bf7 39.Bb5+ Rxb5
Or 39...Ke6 40 b7 Rxb7 41 Rxb7 Rxb5 42 a7 is curtains. 40.Rxb5 Re8 41.Rb4 Kc6 42.b7! Kxc7 43.a7 Resigns
Australian Championship a two-horse race
Problem: White to play and mate in four.
The Australian Closed Championship in Sydney in January was the occasion of two outstanding performances. Top seed GM Zhong-Yuan Zhao was expected to dominate and he duly won by a full point, but only after he was pushed to an extraordinary 10/11 by runner-up IM George Xie. The pair both won all their early games before Zhao beat Xie in round five. Then followed a tremendous chase by Xie, who won his next five games, catching up with Zhao and earning the 24 year old his second GM norm in the process. Zhao was forced to match Xie win for win over the remaining rounds to stay level. But in the final round, Xie was stopped by defending champion IM Stephen Solomon, allowing Zhao to take the championship with a win over FM Rej Tomek.
Today's game is from the tenth round of the Australian Championship and was the victory that secured a GM norm for Xie. He is playing White against 17 year old Max Illingworth.
1.d4 g6
2.e4 Bg7
3.Nc3 d6
4.f4 a6
White has chosen an aggressive Austrian Attack formation against Black's Modern Defence, and his opponent responds with early expansion on the queen's flank – not committing his pieces just yet.
5.Nf3 b5
6.Bd3 Nd7
7.O-O c5
8.d5!? ---
A risky advance – Black gets control of the dark squared diagonals and launches an effective counter-attack.
8.--- c4
9.Be2 Qb6+
10.Kh1 Ngf6
11.e5!? Ng4
White continues with his central pawn thrust, while the Black pieces make use of the empty spaces left in their wake, making for a razor-sharp battle.
12.e6 fxe6
13.dxe6 Ndf6
14.Nd4 Bb7
15.f5 O-O-O!?
16.a4 h5!?
Black's aggressive kingside intentions are clear: castling queenside and securing his knight in preparation.
17.axb5 Ne4
18.Nxe4 Qxd4
19.f6!? ---
Ceding the exchange rather than 19 Qxd4 Bxd4 20 Ng5 axb5 21 fxg6 Rhg8 22 Bxg4 hxg4 23 Nf7 Rxg6! and Black will get a pawn and compensation for the exchange.
19. --- Bxf6
20.Nxf6 Nf2+
21.Rxf2 Qxf2
22.Qf1! ---
Forcing off queens, since 22 Bxf3!? Bxf3 23 gxf3 exf6 24 bxa6 Rhe8 is somewhat risky.
22.--- Qxf1+
23.Bxf1 exf6
24.Bxc4 Rhe8?
Eliminating the passed e-pawn but allowing White unwind his bishops. 24 ... axb5 25 Bxb5 Rhe8! giving back the exchange for the pawn would have drawn handily.
25.bxa6 Bc6
26.Be3! d5
27.Bd3 Rxe6
28.Bd4! f5
29.Kg1 Kb8
30.b4 ---
The White bishops dominate from their central posts while Black's has no scope. There is no answer to the plan of b4-b5-b6-b7 etc.
30.--- Be8
31.b5 Kc7
32.Ra3 Re1+
33.Kf2 Rb1
34.Rc3+ Kd6
35.Bb6 d4
36.Bc7+ Kd7
37.Rc5 Rc8
38.b6 Bf7
39.Bb5+ Rxb5
Or 39...Ke6 40 b7 Rxb7 41 Rxb7 Rxb5 42 a7 is curtains.
40.Rxb5 Re8
41.Rb4 Kc6
42.b7! Kxc7
43.a7 Resigns
1-0
Solution: 1 Rxh6+! Kxh6 (1...Kg8 2 Qh3 and 3 Rh8#) 2 Qh3+ Kg5 3 Qe3+ Kh4 4 Qh6#.